Local man handed injunction order for dangerous dog

The German Shepherd depicted above is not the dog in question and is for reference only.

A Wolverhampton man has been handed an injunction order following a string of dog attacks. The order, which was granted by Wolverhampton County Court on Wednesday 15 December 2021, places numerous conditions on Karam Singh, who is aged 52 and lives on Penn Road, which if broken could result in him being arrested.

Our Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) team was first alerted to the problem on 30 March 2021, after Mr. Singh’s dog, a large German Shepherd, attacked another dog in Muchall Park off Manor Road in Penn. The other dog was not killed but suffered serious injuries, resulting in hundreds of pounds in vet fees.

During a Partner Agency Tasking meeting in April 2021, attended by West Midlands Police and other support and enforcement agencies, the ASB team learned of three previous attacks by the same dog, dating back to October 2018. In these cases, it was alleged that Mr. Singh was also verbally abusive to members of the public.

Due to the nature of the incidents and the fact no people were harmed in any of the attacks, the police were unable to pursue prosecution under the Dangerous Dogs Act. However, concerned for the public and unwilling to leave any further attacks to chance, the ASB team gathered intelligence during April and May to support an anti-social behaviour injunction.

A further dog attack on 9 June 2021, in which the owner of the other dog was also bitten while trying to intervene, provided the ASB team with the evidence it needed to proceed with an emergency injunction.

The case was heard in court on 25 June 2021, resulting in Mr Singh being handed an interim injunction order. The matter was heard in court again on 15 December, at which time the judge felt there was sufficient evidence to warrant converting the interim order to a full injunction order lasting five years.

The order requires Mr. Singh, who is well known in the Penn area, to ensure:

• his dog is kept on a leash not exceeding two metres
• the dog is muzzled while in any public space
• the dog is only handled by people above the age of 16
• he has an insurance policy for the dog
• he does not use violent or abusive language to anyone

West Midlands Police have powers of arrest should he breach these conditions, subject to sufficient evidence. Anyone in or around the Penn area who witnesses a breach is urged to report the matter to the police straight away.

Darren Baggs, Wolverhampton Homes’ Assistant Director of Housing said: “We were deeply concerned by the reports of dog attacks. Dog owners are responsible for their pets and must understand that they could be held liable for any harm caused by their dog, whether it be to a person or someone’s pet.

“Injunctions are a powerful tool in managing anti-social behaviour within our communities and are a proven deterrent. Though it can take time to collect and collate the evidence needed for a court application, we hope that this outcome will assure residents that we are taking the matter very seriously.

“We work closely with West Midlands Police and other agencies, and we will not hesitate to take legal action against anyone who is found to be putting others at risk of harm, either through negligence or wilful intent.”

Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “This is a very distressing case in which a dog owner has repeatedly allowed his animal to attack others.

“Clearly, this is completely unacceptable, and I would like to commend the work of Wolverhampton Homes’ Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) team in gathering the evidence needed to support the five-year injunction.

“All of our residents and pet-owners should feel safe around dogs and the action taken makes clear our commitment to tackling this type of thoughtless and neglectful behaviour swiftly, firmly and fairly.”